OLDER people are being advised to stay at home and stock up on essentials as the freezing weather looks set to continue for at least the next few days.

OLDER people are being advised to stay at home and stock up on essentials as the freezing weather looks set to continue for at least the next few days.

Met Office temperatures recorded a chilling minus seven celsius at Heathrow last night, the coldest the weather has dipped throughout the Winter.

Chris Commerford, Chief Officer at Age Concern Hillingdon, said: "My advice would be to stay in and keep warm, read a good book and stock up on essentials.

"It is very icy outside and they would be better off not going to the shops if they are worried, we may be able to help people with their shopping.

"The cold weather is worrying, it is easy to get into a hypothermic state which is dangerous, we hope people are not holding back on their heating for fear of bills.

"Older people should get their heating and worry about bills later, if they do have problems, we can help them get all of what they are entitled to.

"We are very busy and have had an increase in referrals to our handy person service, to help fix heaters, and plumbing, these are priorities for us and we also have portbale heaters we have been loaning out.

"One 90 year-old man I know who is very independent is really struggling with the cold and hasn't been able to get out to the shops to buy essentials to make himself hot drinks to get better."

The weather is set to increase slightly tonight to minus one celsius with the Met Office confirming they are expecting it to be very frosty.